Oil Prices May Have Bottomed Out, Energy Agency says

The Wider Image: Fuel prices around the world, Fuel pumps are pictured at a gas station in Sidi Allal El Bahraoui, Morocco, February 7, 2016. Fuel is priced at 7.4 dirhams ($0.75) per litre, diesel at 8.5 dirhams ($0.86) per litre. A dramatic drop in oil prices, driven down by a glut in supply, is translating into a mixed bag for motorists. All countries have access to the same oil prices on international markets, but retail prices vary wildly, largely because of taxes and subsidies. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES, No available

PARIS — The International Energy Agency says “there are signs that prices might have bottomed out” in the global oil market.

The Paris-based organization, which represents the world’s major oil-consuming nations, said Friday however that the recovery in crude prices in recent days from multi-year lows does not mean that there will be a significant and sustained rebound in the short-term.

In its monthly oil market report, the IEA says supplies dropped in February by 180,000 barrels per day. But it also noted a sharp slowdown in demand growth, particularly in the United States and China.

The international benchmark for oil was up 81 cents to $40.86 a barrel on Friday, having hit a low of $28.50 a barrel in January. The price was above $100 a barrel as recently as 2014.